Historic practice notes revoked by High Court and District Court

Legislative changes have since superseded these practice notes, chief judges say

Historic practice notes revoked by High Court and District Court

The chief judges of the High Court and District Court announced the revocation of numerous historic practice notes in the High Court and District Court on Monday.

Changes – including legislative changes relating to the Criminal Procedure Act 2011 and the Criminal Procedure Rules 2012 – have since superseded these practice notes, the chief judges said in a media statement.

The chief judges explained in their announcement that the affected practice notes concerned historic practices within the criminal jurisdiction of the High Court and District Court.

Practice notes revoked

For both the High Court and the District Court, the chief judges announced the revocation of the following practice notes:

  • PN 3 – Forms of Indictment – Particulars of Sexual Offending (1994)
  • PN 7 – Sentencing (2003)
  • PN 14 – Pre-Trial Applications in High Court and District Court Criminal Jury Cases (2007)

Regarding the High Court, the chief judges spoke of the revocation of the following practice notes:

  • PN 1 – Use of Hypothetical Questions in Cross-Examination (1985)
  • PN 2 – Notes of Evidence – Official Record (1991)
  • PN 4 – Criminal Jury Trials Caseflow Management High Court (1995)
  • PN 5 – High Court Bail Applications and Appeals (1997)
  • PN 10 – Civil Caseflow Management in High Court Appeals from the District Court (2003)
  • PN 11 – High Court Practice Note Criminal Appeals to the High Court (2003)

As for the District Court, the chief judges announced the revocation of the following practice notes:

  • PN 9 – Bail Practice Note (2002)
  • PN 15 – Practice Note on District Court Criminal Jury Trials (2007)
  • PN – Preliminary Hearings (2008)
  • PN 17 – Committal Procedure in the District Court (2009)
  • PN 18 – Committal Procedure in the Youth Court (Purely Indictable Offences or Where Jury Trial Elected) (2009)